


Atonement

by CALLEN37



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Family, Family Secrets, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-03
Updated: 2013-04-16
Packaged: 2017-12-04 05:25:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/707056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CALLEN37/pseuds/CALLEN37
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Redemption, While in hospital Callen meets someone strangely familiar. Keeping her and their relationship a secret from the team may prove costly and may damage Callen's new found relationship with Deeks. NOT SLASH IS A WIP, but will be finished.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue.

Their last case had just finished up with Callen being injured. It had been four days and the doctor had reluctantly decided to let Callen leave the hospital.

As usual, Deeks was waiting for him. Although Sam was his partner, Since Deeks had found out about his shared past with Callen they had been making a point to spend time together and Deeks had called Sam saying it was their regular night to go out anyway so he would pick up Callen.

Deeks grinned as he saw Callen walk out of the LA medical center his bag slung low over his shoulder.

"Hey, you still wanna go out tonight or just take it easy Cal?" Deeks asked.

Callen could not shake the headache he had been nursing since the day he had gotten concussion. "I'm thinking of heading home kiddo." Callen said tiredly he still had a bruise the size of an egg on the side of his head.

"You sure the doctor signed you out?" Deeks asked concerned at the lack of conversation coming from Callen.

"Yep…Good as new." Callen smiled, with that, 'yeah I'm lying but you don't dare do anything about it' smirk.

Deeks rolled his eyes, "Hetty said to rest and she'll see you tomorrow." He told him as he pulled up outside Callen's house.

"Sure." Callen replied absentmindedly as he walked up to his door. He watched as Deeks drove off and dropped his bag on the floor, turned around and walked out.

* * *

For the last four days, he had been seeing a woman at night and he had arranged to meet her again.

He had no idea, well that was a lie he knew exactly why, he was obsessed with this woman and a part of him knew he should get Eric to run a background check, but he could not ask. A part of him was not even sure she was real.

He had woken up the first night he had had concussion, had taken a walk in the hospital, and had ended up on the roof.

He liked the peace and quiet the hospital roof afforded him.

As he opened the door, he had seen her leaning against the corner ledge one leg dangling off the roof the other safely on the other side, tears slowly sliding down her cheeks.

"Em!" he had said, not helping it as the word slipped out of his lips as the sight of her blonde hair blowing in the wind.

She turned and looked at him.

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

"I…" Callen had been struck dumb.

For a second he thought she was Emily Brandel, Deeks' big sister who had died when they were teenagers and she had been carrying his child.

The woman turned and looked at him, "I know you." She said.

"Emmy Brandel?" he asked, feeling scared that maybe she was a ghost.

"Emma Brantov…Brandel was my fathers name….Who are you?" she asked.

Callen had taken a step back and fallen onto his butt.

"I'm Callen…I work with your brother." He said as she moved to help him up, he jolted as he felt a spark from her hand.

"My brother's dead," Emma said flatly. "They're all dead….but I heard your name…I hear voices sometimes and I've heard the name Cal...Or was it Caleb…" she drifted off into her own world her tears flowing again.

Callen could not help himself and he crossed the space between them and held her in his arms. "Em, it's ok." He said that as she melted into his embrace, he kissed her head.

They stayed holding each other until the sun came up and then the first night they parted ways with a promise to meet there the next night.

Each night they had met on the roof, Emma refusing to tell Callen what she was in hospital for and he not pushing.

They talked about their childhood and Callen told her about Marty and Emily. Although she would still be upset and refused to believe that Marty was still alive when he talked about him until Callen had shown her a photo taken of them both last Christmas. She in return told him about how she had been fostered by a family called the Brantov's who had adopted her when she was 15.

Eventually, he knew he had to leave the hospital.

Sam had been surprised when he had refused to sign himself out AMA as he always did and had insisting on staying in and using his medical leave. However, secretly he had been pleased that Callen had done so.

Just before he left, Callen had stopped by the nurse's station to ask about Emma and had been shocked when he was told that there was no Emma Brantov registered at the hospital, flashing his badge he had asked to see the security footage of the roof where they had spent their nights. Although Callen was seen, coming and going there had been no sign of Emma.

This had unnerved him, which was why he had allowed Deeks to be the one to pick him up as he was guaranteed not to fuss over him like a mother hen, and he needed to get back to the hospital he needed to find her.

He had, for the first time in living memory, taken all of his sick leave, voluntarily. Hetty had been suspicious, but as Callen was starting to look better, she didn't push it. All he had told her was that he would text every day but he needed a complete break from his team.

Emma and Callen spent the next month, becoming closer and falling for each other.

* * *

Over the next six months, they had grown steadily closer, but Emma had still refused to meet Marty or allow Callen to tell the team about her, which if he had to admit was fine with him. This was his…something that was not work, not anyone else's to share and for the first time ever Callen had a relationship that was just his alone.

The only difference anyone noticed at work was that he was mellower; he relaxed more and laughed with the team more.

No one complained because everyone liked it.

One morning he came in happier than he had been in ages, he walked over to Hetty's office and dropped a piece of paper on her desk.

"Good Morning Mr. Callen, What's this?" She asked

"Vacation request form." He said not giving anything away. "Just want the week."

Hetty looked surprised in all the years Callen had worked for NCIS he had never voluntarily taken his vacation, usually she had to order him to go.

"When?" She asked looking down at the paper.

"Today, we have no active cases right now. I just need a break." He said.

Hetty looked at him suspiciously.

"Very well, but stay reachable in case of emergency."

"No…One week Hetty, no calls no cases no visits nothing." Callen insisted.

"At least call in halfway through so we know you're safe."

Callen capitulated, signed the form, and watched as Hetty did the same.

"Have a nice vacation!" Hetty called as Callen stepped down from her office and picked up his bag.

He smiled at the others as he walked out.

Two days later, in a small wedding chapel in Vegas Callen and a four-month pregnant, Emma were married.

* * *

They had discussed telling the team, but both of the came to the conclusion that keeping her a secret meant keeping her safe. After losing Emily that was his number one priority.

Emma knew how Callen had felt about Emily and that she looked exactly like her twin, but both of them knew this was different. Callen knew that between him and Deeks, this would be a time bomb, but Emma was still insistent she didn't want to upset Deeks by telling him.

On returning to work, Callen was more rested and Sam even found him easier to get on with. Occasionally Callen would get a call that Sam assumed was Arkady as he always took the call in Russian. A language Emma knew from her adoptive parents.

Callen sat in the bullpen working on his paperwork and he phone rang.

"Привет меде как самочувствие?" Callen said.

He waited and listened to the woman on the other end.

"Я вернусь через несколько часов вам нужен что-либо? ... Действительно! Фу!" he said and made a gagging noise and laughed,

"Fine I'll get it…. Я тебя." he finished the call and wrote peanut butter ice cream on his pad.

Sam looked at him that was definitely not Arkady.

"G, are you ok?" Sam asked.

"Sure Sam I'm fine, gotta leave soon, I have somewhere to be."

"G are you working an undercover case?" Sam asked concerned for his partner.

"Nope, just organizing my weekend." Callen said.

All four of them finished off their paperwork with Sam sneaking glances at Callen, who grabbed his bag and left half an hour later.

Sam turned to the other two. "Do you two know what's going on with him?" he asked.

Deeks and Kensi shook their heads, "Nope, although for the last few months he's not been coming out for drinks or hanging out at the beach. Not since his vacation….do you think he's on an undercover op?" Deeks asked.

"Haven't got a clue….but I do intend to find out." Sam vowed.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Deeks was worried for Callen, after finding out about his own shared past with Callen he felt like he had had family and Cal was, in his eyes his big brother. He knew where Callen lived and after dropping Kensi home grabbed a six-pack and went over to Callen's apartment, and knocked.

Deeks looked surprised as an old woman opened the door. "Yes?" She asked.

Deeks was shocked but quickly covered it, "Er, I was looking for my brother, I thought he lived here."

"Oh Mr. Callen, yes a nice young man he moved sold me this apartment really cheap, it's such a find." She said happily.

"Do you know where to?" Deeks asked.

"I believe they brought a house in the suburbs, a nice area for families." The lady said, "Sorry I can't help you more," she closed the door as Deeks walked down the hall, it wasn't until he was outside the building that what she had said hit him.

He picked up his phone and called Sam.

"Callen's moved…..he's brought a house, with a woman in the suburbs…" Deeks rambled and Sam laughed.

"G's not gonna buy a house without telling us, you know how he got when he looked for that apartment," He said.

Deeks did remember, First the house was too small, then too big, then too quiet and then too noisy. It had only been after everyone had checked out this apartment and Deeks had arranged for him and Callen to spend the night. After the two eating copious amounts of Chinese food and drinking a whole six pack between them, Callen had admitted to Deeks he liked the apartment but had a fear of staying in the same place. The two brothers had talked through Callen's fear and in the morning, he had called the agent and put in an offer.

"Either way Sam, he's not here, an old woman lives there now." Deeks said genuinely worried.

"Look it's late and Michelle and the kids are sleeping, we'll talk to Callen tomorrow ok?" Sam offered.

"OK." Deeks agreed even though he was worried he headed home.

* * *

However, when they arrived for work the next morning Callen was not there.

Deeks slammed his bag under his desk and walked into Hetty's office,

"Mr. Deeks?" Hetty asked surprised.

"Did you know Cal had moved?" Deeks asked trying but failing to hide his worry.

"I had heard he was looking for a bigger home," Hetty said, Truth was she was as surprised as he was but there was no way she would admit that. "Now I believe you have some work to do, Mr. Callen is on leave for a few days he says he will be back soon." She told him.

"He's on leave?" Deeks asked "Again, without being forced? Come on Hetty even you must see there is something going on."

Hetty raised her eyebrow and Deeks slinked back to his desk.

Nevertheless, Hetty had to admit, he had a point. Over the last year, Callen had been pulling away from the team. It had been just after they had found out about the connection between Callen and Deeks.

Although Callen had bonded a little more with Deeks and let him in, since the incident with the Bosnian terrorists where he had been injured with concussion and hospitalized he had pulled away from his team. It had not affected his work so Hetty had not been too concerned however, Callen taking calls on his cell phone, which he took away from his team, and his change in demeanor all added up and it did not sit right with the diminutive ninja.

Last night's phone call to her home had been unsettling to say the least, Callen had appeared slightly panicked and out of breath when he had called. He had refused to tell her where he was, all he had said was that he needed a few days off and that he'd be back soon she had heard a noise in the background which now she thought about it did sound like someone in pain, Callen had sworn and hung up on her.

Thinking on this and on the meeting she had just had with Deeks, she made a decision and walked up to ops.

* * *

She walked in and suppressed a smile, as her two tech analysts practically jumped to attention, the small bag of Oreo's Nell Jones had just swept into he handbag had not gone unnoticed.

"Miss Jones, I need you to trace Mr. Callen's phone." She said.

Nell looked concerned but moved to do as she was asked.

Typing on her keyboard, she looked up. "He's at the Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier, has he been injured?" she asked.

"Not that I know of, get him on the phone." Hetty ordered looking up to see the concerned faces of his team who had entered the room right after she did.

The phone rang twice before Callen answered and they were all surprised by the tiredness in his voice, "Da...Yes…What!" he asked snappishly.

"Mr. Callen?" Hetty said.

Callen sighed, "I'm sorry Hetty It's been a long night what can I do for you."

"I was wondering if you had been injured?" she asked her voice calm.

"Inj….why would you think I had been injured?" He asked confused.

"You are at a hospital are you not?" She poked.

Callen let out a frustrated sigh, "Yes Hetty I'm at a hospital; I asked you for a few days off, am I your pet project or don't I deserve some privacy."

"We are just concerned for you; I wanted to make sure you were well." She said gently.

"I'm fine, I'm just…." Callen stopped as a voice behind him was heard over the speaker.

"Mr. Callen…..it's time." The voice said.

Callen then sounded slightly panicked, "Ok…God…I have to go." He hung up.

The others looked at Hetty waiting for the order to descend on the hospital en mass but she shook her head. "Mr. Callen had asked for his privacy, I do not know what he is doing right now; however I suggest we give him his space as he has requested."

* * *

At the hospital Callen shut the phone all thoughts of his team pushed out of his head as he gowned up to go and support his wife as his first child entered the world. An hour later, one, Jay Callen entered the world with hair as blond as his mothers and eyes as blue as his fathers.

Callen looked at Emma, she looked radiant, worn out but radiant and he held his son as the doctor checked her over.

"Em, I love you, and I am so proud of you, he's beautiful." He kissed her forehead and she smiled at him.

"He is beautiful is he not," she said, "I think he looks like you." She told her husband.

"I think with all that blond hair he looks like Marty." He laughed.

"You should tell them G, at least tell your boss, I know I will have to face my brother sometime, I have put it off seeing as he had only recently found out about Emily and her losing Caleb, but I am well, your son is here and he needs his uncle. Now I am safe, maybe it's time?" she suggested.

Callen relented. "You're right, I remember how Kensi and Deeks were when they found out about Sam's family, I don't want that with us, and it's just…." He trailed off.

"I'm not going anywhere G; you don't have to keep me a secret. I've been safe with you for nearly a year now."

Callen turned and looked out of the window, eight months ago, it had been him wanting to let everyone know about her, and then the nightmares had started. Emma being taken and stabbed the same as Emily, then the baby was taken and Callen would be cornered by Kendall and he would watch as Emma and the baby in her womb were killed. He would wake up in a cold sweat. Since the first nightmare, he had guarded their secret even more. If no one knew, there was no chance of them being taken or hurt.

Callen sighed, "Your right Em, then again when aren't you right. OK we will give it a month for you to get settled with Jay and then I'll tell the team."

Emma smiled, she knew this was the right thing to do; keeping Jay away from his uncle would not be a good thing.

Callen lay back in the chair next to Emma's bed; his eyes closed resting with his newborn son sleeping soundly on his chest feeling for the first time in his whole life totally at peace.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Three days later, exhausted but happy Callen walked into the bullpen.

He sat at his desk as it was still early and no one else had come in, laid his head on his desk, and slept.

Sam was the first in and was surprised to see his chronically insomniac partner asleep so left him be. Two hours later, when everyone was there he decided that his partner needed to wake up.

Kensi and Deeks were watching as Sam placed a coffee within arm's reach of Callen and he shook his shoulder.

"G?" Sam said.

Callen jolted awake, "I'll get him!" he said.

Kensi smiled, "Catching bad guys in your sleep again Callen?" she asked.

Callen quickly regained composure and nodded. He had actually thought Jay was crying but he could not really explain that.

* * *

"Mr. Callen, A word" Hetty said and Callen followed her to her office.

He sat heavily in the chair next to the desk, "How are you?" She asked.

"Tired." He admitted.

Hetty wanted to push him, to find out why he favorite agent had been in hospital, but she had to admit any other agent would have been allowed his privacy if it did not compromise himself or the team. It was only her favoritism of him, a thing that she vehemently denied existed, that made her want to push. The fact that she still felt, she owed his mother.

"Are you well enough to work now?" she asked, this she knew was a fair question.

"Hetty, I'm sorry… I have been keeping something from you all….I…I need to tell you, but after work at my house please, I'm going to invite everyone." He looked contrite and her heart broke for him.

"Very well," She said and took the paper he gave her with his new address on it. "We do not have an active case and you still owe me some paperwork." She smiled and shooed him off to his desk.

Callen gratefully accepted the coffee from Sam and took a swig.

"So you finally ready to tell us what's been going on with you?" He asked.

"Tonight, at this address, it's my new house." Callen said and looked at Deeks, "Can you come early?" he asked him.

"Sure." Deeks said.

Callen turned to them, "Please just ask me tonight." He said seeing the questioning looks on their faces.

They agreed and turned back to their work, Callen sat back watching them he hoped that this would not break up the team and that they would understand why he didn't tell them. Although he hoped that once they saw his son, all would be forgiven.

* * *

Em stood up as the doorbell rang. She looked at Jay sleeping soundly in his crib and smiled at her son then went and answered the door. An official looking woman stood there.

"Hello, can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, my name is Sharon Lewis, I am from child services, and we've had a complaint about your baby."

Emma looked horrified, "He's only been home for two days!" she said.

"We were told you and his father were mistreating him….I've looked up your files, with you both having been in care as children we know it's harder on you to know how to parent." She said condescendingly.

"I have a court order here to take your child into care." She continued.

Emma's hand flew to her face as she held in a scream; "No, this can't be right get out of my house!" she stood between the baby and the woman.

Every instinct in Emma knew this was wrong, but with her husband being a federal agent and with the larger man outside. As Ms Lewis walked outside with her clipboard in hand to talk to him, Emma pushed the woman slammed the door and locked it. The two people started banging on the door and calling out loudly, "We are child services and we have a court order, we will call the police if you don't let us in."

Em panicked and grabbed Jay and his baby bag and locked herself in the bathroom.

Picking up the phone she called the only person she knew could save them.

Callen was looking at some after action reports he had promised to write when his phone rang.

"Da?" he said then stopped.

"Em? What's wrong?" the others stopped and looked as their team leader blanched.

"Who?" he said.

"Get the gun from behind the counter honey, don't let them in I'm coming." Callen dropped his phone in his pocket and grabbed Sam's keys off the table. Not even waiting for an explanation the others followed.

* * *

Callen peeled out of the parking lot not even noticing Sam was in the car, "Em, talk to me honey." He pleaded.

"Sam, call Eric, Possible kidnapping. Sharon Lewis and a man are at my home. Tell him to get eyes on the place there is a camera on the corner."

Sam relayed what was happening to Eric and the team.

"I have it!" Eric said as the camera's came up and he, Nell and Hetty who had joined them could now see what was going on.

A dark van was outside the house Callen had told them was his and a man and a woman where banging on the door.

"Mr. Beale, run facial recognition on those two." Hetty ordered.

"I have them!" Nell said, "Its Jeremy Kendall and Sharon Lewis. There's a warrant out for both of them, Lewis helped Kendall escape prison last week."

On hearing the news, Callen put his foot down.

The three in ops watched as the door was broken down and a woman holding a baby was dragged out. Just as the challenger shot into view with Kensi and Deeks right behind.

* * *

All four of them jumped out of the car.

Sam lifted his gun, "NCIS!" He yelled.

"NO!" Callen and Emma yelled at the same time.

Kendall threw Emma into the van as Sharon held the baby in her arms with a gun to his head.

Callen threw his gun on the ground as Sam watched stunned.

Hands outstretched he walked slowly towards them.

"Please…." He begged his voice breaking, "I know you want revenge on me, let them go."

Sharon looked at him and then Kendall.

"You can have one….you pick…times a wasting."

"Jay!" Both parents said instantly.

Sharon smiled evilly as Callen walked towards her. Then she threw the screaming baby into the air. Forgetting all about her Callen dove for his son catching him mere inches from the ground and cradling his head with his body.

Sharon used the distraction and jumped into the van and it took off.

"G!" Emma screamed from the van as the doors closed and it sped off.

"EM!" Callen yelled, "We'll find you!" he yelled. Then he looked at his son, "I'll find her." He promised his son quietly, making shushing noises to soothe his son's sobs even though he wanted to join him.

As G turned Sam and Kensi were looking curiously at Callen and the baby he now held, but Deeks was rooted to the spot his eyes staring at the spot where moments before an older version of his dead sister had been put into a van.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Deeks stared after the van and turned to look at Callen.

"Marty I…." Callen was at a loss for words, this was not how they had planned it.

"Who was that?" He asked his voice shaky.

"That was…" Callen was interrupted by a shrill cry from the bundle in his arms. "Shh" he said soothingly, turned, and walked inside the house.

The others followed him.

The house was homely and full of furniture and items for the baby and Photos of the woman and Callen and a new Polaroid on top of the TV of Callen and the baby.

Callen walked into a backroom and gently laid Jay on the changing mat ignoring his team members and concentrating solely on his son.

"It's ok, daddy's got ya, lets have a look at you;" he changed his diaper and checked to make sure he hadn't been hurt in any way.

He let out a sigh of relief as he realized he was unhurt. Jay started to grizzle and Callen gave him his pacifier. "It's ok peanut, we'll get mommy back." He gave his son a hug and rocked him until he started to yawn and then he placed him in his car seat.

He grabbed the car seat and diaper bag stopping at the kitchen to fill it up with milk, Emma had been breast-feeding and luckily had expressed that morning, there were six bottles in the fridge, and he packed them.

"Come on then peanut let's go find mommy shall we?" Callen said in a bright voice, Jay burped and Callen's face softened. He laughed softly "Definitely daddy's little man" He said and turned to the shocked faces of his team.

"Oh!" he said

"Oh?" Deeks said confusion and hurt poured off him. "What the hell just happened and who was that and why does she look like Emily!" Deeks yelled.

Jay started crying and Callen turned to comfort him.

"Deeks keep your voice down you're scaring him!" He hissed, "We need to get to ops, I'll explain everything but I only want to do it once." He told them.

Deeks turned on his heel and walked out. Kensi followed him.

Callen turned to Sam, "Come on."

* * *

Walking into ops Callen deposited the car seat on the table looking at his sleeping son he then turned to Eric, "Did you find them?" he asked.

"I lost them on highway one, but I'm still looking." Eric said and then he turned, "Oh...!" he said Nell looked at what Eric was looking at.

"Aww, he's cute." Nell said, "The woman's?" she asked.

Callen nodded, it was not exactly a lie. He pulled up short as Hetty walked in.

"I hear you have brought a baby here. I will contact child services to collect the little one until we find its mother." She pulled out her phone and Callen took it from her.

"Over my dead body." He snarled.

The room went quiet.

"Mr. Callen?" Hetty said angry at his actions. "Why should I not contact child services until we find this child's parents?"

"Yeah Callen tell us why?" Deeks said, "And while you're at it, tell us why that woman looked just like my sister?"

"Because she is." Callen said simply.

Deeks looked at Callen, he could not believe he had kept this a secret, "What?"

"Emma is Emily's twin, she was adopted whilst you and Emily were fostered, and social services deemed it too dangerous for Emma to go back to your father."

"And how long have you known?" Deeks asked his voice strangely quiet.

"About a year." He admitted.

"And who is that...?" Deeks asked pointing to Jay who was now awake and sucking on his pacifier as his blue eyes took in the bright flashing lights in the room.

"Your nephew, Jay." Callen said.

He started to get annoyed, "Look I told you now can we find Em, We know that Lewis and Kendall have her and I won't leave her there and I will kill them if they lay a finger on her."

"Mr. Callen is this, what you wanted to tell us this evening?" Hetty asked seeing the anger and frustration building in her lead agent.

"Yes alright, Look I hadn't planned to tell you but she insisted, just for once I wanted to have something that was mine and not mixed up in all this and now she's getting hurt and I swear to God I am going to end them." Callen snarled.

"Mr. Deeks can you please take your nephew downstairs as I want to talk to Mr. Callen." Hetty said dismissing the team.

Kensi reached out for the car seat. "NO, get your hands off my son; he's not leaving my sight!"

"Your son! You slept with my sister!"

"No I slept with my wife. She just happened to be your sister." Callen lost it.

"Right YES I'm married, yes I kept it a secret and Yes Jay is my son any other stupid questions or can I go save my wife and shoot the son of a bitch that has her!" Jay started to sniffle at the sound of his dad's voice.

Sam put a hand on Callen's shoulder. "G. Calm down your scaring your boy." He said softly, "Kens. Take Deeks downstairs." He said and watched as they left ops and Callen slumped into Nell's chair.

"I can't lose her Sam." He said looking totally lost.

"You need to get your head in the game partner. I'll see what we have on Kendall and Lewis. You need to take your son, go downstairs and make amends with his uncle. You're family now and you need each other. Deeks deserves to know why you didn't tell him."

Callen opened his mouth to argue at the same time his son let his need for food be known.

Callen's face softened "Come on peanut, lets get you some food." He took Jay downstairs and placed him on his desk Deeks sat at his desk staring at him as Callen took Jay out of his car seat and handed him to his uncle, "Here Uncle Marty, you hold him while I warm his milk." He said and walked to the kitchen.

Deeks looked at Jay holding him carefully at arms length.

As he looked at him all the anger he had, melted away in the gaze of his newborn nephew.

"He is cute." Kensi said.

Deeks had tears in his eyes, "He's really my nephew, look he has my hair." He said awestruck.

"I'm sorry Marty…" Callen said from behind him, "I didn't know how to tell you, I was scared." He took Jay, sat on the edge of his desk, and started feeding him.

* * *

The through traffic of agents picked up as scuttlebutt flew around the building that Callen had a baby and it was his. Deeks was astonished at the number of female agents he suddenly discovered worked in the building.

Deeks stroked Jay's head gently. "Tell me about my sister." He asked.

"Emma's bright, she's a lot like Emily in some ways, she makes me laugh and she calms me but in other ways she's so different, before we were married her surname was Brantov, she had been adopted by a Russian family so she speaks fluent Russian. Her adoptive mother is still alive her adoptive father died in a car accident, which she was in as well, it was how we met. She was in hospital the same time I was and we met on the roof."

"What was she doing on the roof?" Deeks asked.

"Getting some air." Callen said, "I was as well, I was surprised how much she looked like Emily. When she told me what her name was before she was adopted I knew she was your sister and I wanted her to get to know you, but she was afraid, then I fell in love with her…I've never had something special that was just mine since Emily and I didn't want to lose her, not again." Callens voice fell and he moved Jay to burp him gently rubbing his back, taking comfort in the feel of his son in his arms.

He gave Jay to Deeks and handed him the diaper bag, "He's your nephew, you change him," He grinned and walked off up to ops leaving a beaming Deeks surrounded by a dozen female support staff.

* * *

"So what have we got?" Callen asked walking back in.

Nell looked at Eric worried, "Have you cleared it with Hetty….I mean…you scare me Callen, but she's a whole different ball game."

"It's alright Mr. Beale, I think this time Mr. Callen will be careful won't you?" Hetty said walking in behind him.

"I'm good Hetty, but I want my wife back and no one will stop me from getting her and taking them down." He said the sincerity in his voice all too clear.

"No one doubts that," Sam added "And we will have your back."

Callen smiled tiredly, today had not gone the way he planned this morning and he wished Em were here.

Eric's computer pinged, "Hetty, Callen's got an email, and it's an encrypted data packet, video file." He said, they opened the file and saw Emma tied to a chair her eyes red from crying and her mouth gagged as Kendall walked around her holding a knife.

"Well, well, well…. Looks like you got yourself a look alike for little Emmy. Feisty one this and you married her!" Kendall laughed, "Did you tell her about us, you should have told her you belong to me and we're not finished yet," Kendall walked behind her and softly without breaking the skin, slid the knife along her throat.

"NO! Don't…." Callen breathed even though he knew Kendall could not hear him the terror in his heart left him cold.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Eric turned and started tracing the email. After a few moments he shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry Callen, I lost it."

Callen gulped "Ok, I need help. I'm calling her mother," he sighed.

Saskia Brantov was not a woman you crossed. Of all the things Deeks was going to learn, telling him about his sister's adoptive mother and telling her mother her daughter's biological brother was a cop was not high on his list of 'happy' things to do.

The others looked at Callen quizzically as he turned to Hetty, "Emma's adoptive parents are Sergei and Saskia Brantov, and Saskia is…"

"Arkady Kolchak's sister." Hetty finished

Callen nodded, "Yeah." He said abashed.

"Oh, Mr. Callen this just gets better and better." Hetty sighed.

Sam looked confused.

"Emma's adoptive family is the Russian Mafia. Arkady worked for Sergei before he died he works for Saskia now."

"I think Mr. Callen this should be a face to face meeting, handle it as you see fit." Hetty said, "If I don't know…Then director Vance doesn't need to know." She continued as she left the room. "That boy!" she exclaimed to herself shaking her head.

* * *

"Sam I want Deeks to come with us…He can't be left out anymore and I need to see Kensi." Callen told his partner.

Sam nodded and they walked down the stairs.

"Kensi?" Callen said as he walked into the bullpen.

Deeks was sitting at his desk talking softly to his nephew Kensi was over the other side of the bullpen as far from the baby as she could get, casting glances in his direction.

"I never touched him!" she exclaimed the hurt rolling off her in waves.

"Kensi, I'm sorry, it wasn't meant at you, I just needed to be near him." Callen explained.

Kensi let out a breath happy that Callen had not meant her specifically.

"Will you stay with him for me, just for a while?" Callen asked.

Kensi looked at the three-day-old baby, what do I know about babies? She thought to herself. "Erm."

Callen smiled he'd had the same look on his face two days ago.

"It's ok come here." He walked up to Deeks who handed him back to Callen.

Smelling his dad, Jay let out a small whimper and tried suckling his cheek, Callen laughed, "You hungry peanut?" he said he handed Jay to Kensi, "support his head." He instructed as he grabbed a bottle from the diaper bag and walked to the kettle in the kitchen, Kensi carefully followed him.

Callen dropped the bottle in the kettle and switched it on allowing the water to warm up the milk.

He gently stroked his son's face and smiled as he turned to try to suckle his father's finger. "Soon peanut, momma's busy so it's a bottle right now." His smile slipped as he thought about Emma and hoped she would be back before he ran out of pre-bottled milk.

He tested it and handed it to Kensi, "It's simple, feed him, burp him and change him, like I did earlier." Callen said.

Kensi nodded, she was a federal agent she could handle this.

* * *

Callen kissed his son's head and walked out with Sam and Deeks.

They sat in the car and finally Deeks asked. "Have we found her?"

"No, we got an email; I need help so we are going to see her mother." Callen said.

"My mother's…..somewhere, but not here, I haven't seen her since I was eleven," Deeks admitted.

"No, Sorry, I meant her adoptive mother, her name is Saskia Brantov, she's Arkady Kolchak's sister, her husband, Sergei was the head of the LA branch of the Russian Mafia."

"Great!" Deeks said sarcastically. "And I'm going why?" he asked, "So I can arrest my sister's mother?"

"No Deeks, we kept you out and I know you want into this investigation, you need to help. I get that she's your sister but I thought you might like to get to know her."

They pulled up outside a large house and a man with a gun walked up to the car, his threatening demeanor vanishing when he saw Callen.

"Callen!" He exclaimed and grabbed the lead agent in a huge bear hug.

"Gregori!" Callen smiled at his brother in law.

"Where are Emma and our newest addition?" He asked.

Callens face dropped, "I need to see Saskia, now." He said.

Gregori, knowing when to change tactics stopped laughing and let them in. "Mother, Callen is here." He called.

Saskia a beautiful woman once, now older and wiser walked towards her son in law, "G! I have missed you, how is my nephew do you have pictures?" She asked smiling.

"Mama, I do, but I have to talk to you…." Callen sat at the kitchen table and gladly took the tea she placed in front of him. "G who are your friends?"

"Agent Sam Hanna, my Partner and Agent Marty Deeks…..He's on my team and Em's…." He started. Saskia stood up and looked Deeks in the eye, "He does not look like Gordon…more like his mother. Are you like him boy?" She asked seriously.

"God, I hope not." Deeks breathed.

"Good…Good….Sergei, had to deal with him, I would not like to do that again." She admitted.

Deeks sat stunned the woman had just told him her dead husband killed his father. Callen looked at Deeks not sure what he would do.

Deeks looked up his eyes full of tears, "Thank you." He said straight and honestly.

"Ah so much like my Emma." Saskia said smiling. "How is she?"

Callen for the first time Deeks could remember looked nervous, "A man, a bad man from my past has her, and a woman, I need help to get her back." He admitted.

"I will call my boys….Marty come sit with mama, you can peel these potatoes." She handed him a knife.

Deeks was amazed by the trust the woman showed him, "Mrs. Brantov?" he started.

She looked at him reproachfully, "Marty Deeks, Emma is my daughter and your sister, and I know your family situation." She stopped as he looked down he had never talked about his own mother with the team.

"Do not feel ashamed, your father, we took care of, because of what he did to you and our Emma. Your mother…..I am sorry, we found her too late, she died a few years ago of an overdose, drugs are nasty things." She said and hugged him, "You are now my son." She told him. "So you call me mama, like our G here."

Deeks smiled. "While we are waiting can you tell me about Emma?" he asked.

Saskia smiled and the pair of them started chatting away.

Callen and Sam walked into the garden, "They need time Sam," Callen said and called Hetty to let her know Saskia was going to help.

* * *

Back at ops, Kensi looked at a crying Jay and gave up.

"Hetty!" She called in defeat across the bullpen.

Kensi Blye, Federal Agent could NOT handle one tiny crying Callen!

 


	6. Chapter 6

By the time Sam, Deeks and Callen arrived back at OPS Kensi was nowhere to be seen.

For a second panic swelled in Callen's chest as he looked for his junior agent and his son.

"Mr. Callen, never fear, your son is safe; he's asleep in my office." Hetty said gently.

Callen sighed with relief "Thank you Hetty, Where's Kensi?"

Hetty let out a wry smile, "Ms Blye is resting, and she did not cope as well as she thought she would." Callen looked at the smaller woman quizzically raising an eyebrow.

"It seems young Master Jay has a very efficient set of lungs that flustered our Ms Blye." Hetty said smiling. "He also had a small coughing fit during his last feed and she panicked thinking she was hurting him."

Callen looked guilty, "Hetty would you watch him for me please, just for a while." He asked. Hetty nodded and Callen went to find Kensi. He found her sitting with her head in her hands in a supply closet.

"Kenz?" He said quietly.

Kensi looked up with red-rimmed eyes, "I tried Callen, I didn't mean to hurt him, I made a mistake and he kept coughing. You were right to not trust me with him,"

"Kenz he's fine, it's just spit up. Babies do that, you don't have to worry I trust you with his life, mine and Em's." Kensi smiled at him and wiped a stray tear. "I'm sorry, just don't tell Deeks ok? I'll never hear the end of it." She said.

Callen nodded and they both walked back into the bullpen.

"You ok?" Deeks asked looking at his partner.

"Here you go!" Callen said with wink tossing a Twinkie from his drawer to her, "I told you I had the last one."

"You know taking the last Twinkie from the vending machine is dangerous Callen." Kensi growled good-naturedly secretly grateful for the 'out' Callen had just given her.

* * *

Callen stood up and walked to Hetty's office, he looked down at his son, "He is ok isn't he?" He asked quietly.

"He's fine, Fed burped and changed." Hetty reassured him.

"Good," He sat in the chair and took the cup of tea she offered him, "I talked to mom, Sorry I mean Saskia Brantov, They know about Em now and I'm waiting on a phone call from Arkady, Have you guys heard anything?"

"I talked to the governor of the prison that Kendall was being held in, Kendall got life for your assault and…."Hetty started but Callen cut her off.

"We know what he did, How did he get out." He snapped.

Hetty let it go; she knew Kendall was a sore subject for him, "Well Lewis only got 18 months and the day she was released she went to see Kendall. She managed to smuggle a gun in and she broke him out. They have been on the run for a month." She told him.

"AND NO ONE TOLD ME!" Callen yelled and stopped abruptly as Jay whimpered. "I'm sorry Hetty but if I had been told I could have kept Emma and Jay safe."

"If we have known about them we would have kept them safe." Hetty chided him.

Callen was about to say something as he phone rang, "Da Mom?" he said Hetty suppressed a small grin, It was nice Callen had someone in his life he could call mom.

"Ok, thanks. We will meet there." He closed the phone and turned to Hetty, "They think they've found her."

Callen got up to go and then looked at Jay. He grabbed the sleeping baby in the car seat and took him with him.

"Mr. Callen, Are you planning on taking him on the mission?" Hetty asked.

"Nope, sent Mom the address she's coming here to get him with a bodyguard."

"Mr. Callen, this is a secure facility." Hetty looked shocked.

Callen put Jay down carefully. "How much do you know about Saskia and Sergei Brantov?" He asked lowering his voice.

Hetty showed him the file she had dug out on them.

"It's a cover; Saskia and Sergei are deep cover CIA. They were sent to infiltrate this branch of the Russian Mafia; they feed Intel on a regular basis to the CIA, They have a higher clearance than you do." Callen told his shocked boss. "And right now I need her to look after her grandson."

"Does Mr. Deeks know?" she asked.

"Yes. Saskia told him this afternoon as he was filling her in on Em, He will keep their cover intact, she has stopped more terrorist attacks with her information in a month than we do in a year," he said proudly.

"And this is why Arkady is so important to you?" She asked finally putting some of the pieces together.

"Yes, that and he regularly annoys Trent Kort, which is always a plus." Callen grinned.

* * *

Callen picked up the car seat, walked into the bullpen, and popped Jay on the desk.

"Deeks, we have an address, mom's coming for Jay and we are taking Gregori and the boys."

Deeks grinned, "Mom's coming here? Have you told Hetty?"

Sam and Kensi looked confused.

Deeks had taken to Saskia that hour in the garden and had instantly bonded. When she had told him her secret, he had hugged her, his biggest fear had been that he would like her, and then have to arrest her.

"Yep she should be here any…" Callen stopped as the tall Russian woman, flanked by armed guards walked into the mission.

"MY BOYS!" She called as both Deeks and Callen turned to hug the blonde woman.

"MOM!" they said in unison.

She turned to Gregori, "Take this flash drive to the small woman over there, tell her it is the information she asked for, I want to see my grandson." She said placing a kiss on both Callen and Deeks' foreheads which left them both blushing and Kensi and Sam laughing she turned her attention to the little one, "OH MY!" She lowered her voice, as he was asleep.

"G he his a handsome boy, and he needs his momma, so you and my youngest son go to ops and find her." Saskia ordered.

"Yes mom." Callen said and all four headed to ops.

* * *

Eric who had been leaning on the balcony spied the exchange.

"Your mom?" He asked both Deeks and Callen.

"My mom!" They chorused and smiled.

They entered ops to find Gregori sitting in a chair and getting a dressing down from Nell.

"I don't care if your clearance comes from the president himself….You do NOT TOUCH the equipment!" She said standing with her hands on her hips her eyes blazing.

"Ah! My brothers…help?" The six foot four Russian squeaked.

Deeks grinned but Callen laughed aloud, "Nope."

"Piztdabol!" Gregori snapped and Callen laughed harder as Hetty walked up to him, "Mr. Brantov….we do not use language like that around here!" she told him.

"Brother, this place is a Santa's workshop no?" He asked.

"No." Callen shook his head. "Where is it?"

"I have the flash drive Mr. Callen," Hetty said and handed it to Nell.

She put it in and pictures and pages of information flooded the large screen.

Gregori stood up and walked to the screen, "We think they are in this building here." He said pointing to a medium sized derelict warehouse, we have a few people dealing in the area that have seen these people and heard screams, and naturally they reported it to us rather than the police."

Callen smirked, "Naturally, has mom sent anyone to check it out?" He asked.

"Yes, you…. Now!" Gregori said and Callen rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Naturally."

He turned to the others. "Deeks, you and Kensi can take the back, Sam you; I and Gregori will take the front. Greg, your men can circle around and leave us with a sealed perimeter, I don't want them getting away."

* * *

Em lifted her head, she could feel the blood from the wound on her head, she was sore, not just from the beatings that Kendall had given her; but her body hurt from just having given birth and the need she had to feed her child. More than that, the way her heart hurt from listening to Kendall describe what he had done to her husband as a child and what he would do to him when he got his hands on him again. Then Sharon said something that made her screams echo around the room.

"You know maybe Jeremy will kill you like he did your sister…..and without you and your husband in the way, your child will be an orphan and we might finally be able to get our hands on that brother of yours."

Em screamed as tears fell unabashed from her eyes. "NO! YOU DIDN'T KILL HER!" she screamed.

"I did, her and the brat kept me away from that lovely little brother of yours." He laughed at her disgust and discomfort, "Of course I never wanted him really, he had too much spirit, but my little Gee…he was perfect just the right amount of breaking in already done and he was willing to do anything to protect the boy; then what do you think he will do to protect the three of you?"

Sharon looked up, "He needs to be dealt with, and we should make him pay. Jeremy, it is his fault you were in prison and away from me. He needs to pay for that!" She said her eyes full of hate.

"He will Honey, but I intend to keep him alive…revenge is so much better if he's alive to enjoy it." Kendall and Lewis laughed as they left the room.

Leaving Emma sobbing heartbroken, afraid for her brother, her child and most of all her husband.


	7. Chapter 7

They pulled up around the corner from the warehouse, on checking out the building Deeks and Gregori came back and announced that the van Emma had been taken in was outside.

Callen checked his gun for the third time since arriving. Gregori walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm. "Callen, you must be careful Emma is our priority." He said carefully.

"Don't you think I know that?" Callen spat.

"I think, my brother that you want to save your wife. However, you also want revenge on the two people who have her; I think your exact words were I'm going to end him?" Gregori said.

Callen looked askew at Gregori, "I said that in OPS?"

Gregori shrugged, "Mama has ears like a bat when her little ones are in trouble, and you my brother get in trouble a lot." He grinned.

Callen shook it off, now was not the time, but he knew that Saskia had somewhere bugged OPS and he made a mental note to sweep the place again when he got back.

* * *

"Ok Deeks you Kensi and Sam, take the back….Gregori and I will take the front. Bring her back safe guys." He said.

They locked and loaded their weapons and headed around the back.

Inside, watching from the window Jeremy Kendall smiled.

"He's here." He said to Sharon as he watched them come, "Is she ready." He asked.

Sharon looked at Emma, tied to a chair by a rope, which hung through a ceiling beam; she walked up behind her and pushed. The chair with Emma sitting on it swung out from the balcony and hung precariously in mid air.

Emma bound and gagged could do nothing but cry, tears dripping through the gag and dropping the twenty feet to the floor. She knew if the rope gave out, she would never see her boys again.

There was a loud bang as Deeks kicked the back door down. "NCIS!" He called.

Emma wanted to scream his name….struggle anything so he would look up, but she knew the rope would snap.

She tried making a noise and he looked up.

"Oh my God! Kensi!" Deeks yelled.

Kensi, Sam and Deeks ran upstairs followed by Gregori who had entered with Callen via the front.

Callen stood routed to the spot. He knew Kendall and he knew he had something up his sleeve.

He was right.

* * *

As the others made it upstairs and they were trying to save Emma, Kendall stepped out of the shadows and held a gun to Callen's neck.

"Quiet." He said softly and pulled Callen back into the shadows.

The only person who saw this was Emma who had a clear view from her vantage point. They locked eyes with each other in a silent plea as he was pulled away from her.

Sam reached out and pulled her to safety.

They undid the ropes and took of the gag.

"He's got G!" was the first thing Emma said.

Deeks looked around and realized he was missing.

Sam, Kensi and Gregori ran down the stairs to help find him as Deeks untied his sister.

"Hi, I'm Marty….your brother." He said tentatively.

She immediately threw her arms around him in a big hug, "I've missed you so much." She cried holding him tight.

They were still hugging as the others came back. There is no sign of him, Kensi said as Sam called Eric to look up the van on Calidescope.

Eric worked away as the others helped Emma out of the warehouse.

* * *

Halfway back to the mission Emma pointed out of the car window. "That's the Van!" She screamed as they saw the van burnt out and on it's roof near the edge of a cliff on the PCH.

They pulled over and showed their badges to the local LEOs who had secured the scene.

Deeks held Emma back as the others went to check the van.

"Didn't realize this was an NCIS case," The police officer said, The driver was female, she died of a gunshot wound to the head, she was driving which caused the van to spin and roll over.

"And the two men that were with her?" Kensi asked.

The officer looked confused. "Two men?" he said.

"She didn't shoot herself while driving!" Kensi snapped. She was about to say more as a shout came up from over the edge.

"We have another body down here, Male…Caucasian, early forties." A man called.

Emma clung onto Deeks' arm as Sam turned to them, "We don't know it's him." He said.

Sam quelled the feeling of panic he had and walked towards the edge and leant over to where the man's body was lying.

He let out a hug breath… "It's not him!" he called back relieved.

He jogged back to the others. "Deeks take Emma and Gregori back to OPS, Kensi and I will stay here, it looks like Kendall stole another car and killed the driver."

Deeks nodded and the three of them drove off.

* * *

Callen's head was throbbing his first attempt to escape had not gone so well. Kendall had punched him and they had struggled for the gun that had then gone off killing Sharon Lewis outright. Unfortunately, she had been driving the van they were in, it had flipped several times and Callen had been pulled out as the van burst into flames.

He saw the man who pulled up to help and tried to warn him as Kendall hit him again, already sporting the bruises from the fight along with now a broken arm from the accident, the blow to the head knocked him out.

The next thing he knew he was in the boot of what he presumed was the car that had stopped to help. He felt around the pain in his arm hampering his attempts to get free.

The strange thing was, this time, he was not too worried, he knew his team would be looking for him and most of all he knew his wife and son were safe. They were with Deeks and the team and he knew they would be looking for him….as soon as they knew he was missing. Right now; however, there was nothing he could do. Therefore, he allowed the pain to overtake him, drag him down into blissful oblivion and he dreamt of his family.

 


	8. Chapter 8

It was quiet at OSP when they arrived back. Most of the day staff had gone home.

Hetty and Saskia were in Hetty office having tea and discussing their 'children'. Jay having had another feed and change was asleep in a crib that Hetty had found in a backroom in the mission. Although a few had wondered no one dared ask her why there was a crib in the building, but having sent a staff member out for a new mattress Jay had settled down quickly.

Saskia and Hetty were just chatting about their mission to Siberia where it turned out they were on the opposite sides of the same operation, both working for the CIA when the others arrived back.

Emma walked in first looking everywhere for her son.

"Emma!" Saskia called, mindful of the sleeping child.

"Mama!" she cried and ran into her arms, sobbing as she did so.

"Mrs. Callen?" Hetty said standing up and walking towards them, "Where is Mr. Callen?" she asked looking around.

Emma sobbed harder. "It was a trap, they never wanted me or Jay they just wanted to hurt G."

Saskia held her daughter and made shushing noises, just as she had to the baby earlier. Emma composed herself.

"I need to see Jay and I also need to express some milk." She said and Hetty showed her into a room so she could sort herself out and then she came back and walked over to his crib. "When that bitch threw him….he wasn't hurt?" she asked fearful of the answer.

"No, Mr. Callen has kept your son quite safe." Hetty told her.

Emma lifted Jay gently out of his crib, he cried a little then sensing his mother snuggled into her arms. She held him tight and turned to the two women.

"I need G; you have to find him for me. Kendall kept talking about how G had ruined his life….how he had wanted another boy but he had kept him away, maybe if you find that boy…we'll find G." she reasoned.

Deeks walked in and stood behind her.

"I'm here." He said flatly hoping she would understand, but she looked at him confused. "I'm the boy Kendall was after; G saved me it was when Lewis fostered Emily and me out to him." He said.

"Did….Did he kill her…Emily?" Emma asked holding tightly to her son afraid she would be separated from him again.

"I was told he did, G said he did…I was in hospital, I had just had my appendix out. I never saw her again." He said sadly. Saskia hugged her children.

"We will get him back, this I promise you." Saskia said.

Emma smiled, "Marty the one thing you should know about Mama, she never breaks a promise." She told her little brother.

Eric walked into the office; both Hetty and Deeks looked at him in surprise.

"What!" He exclaimed shocked. "You think I'd whistle with a baby in the building?" He smiled and they all followed him to OPS.

* * *

"What do you have?" Emma asked as she handed Jay to her mother.

Nell looked at Emma as if sizing her up.

Hetty came to stand beside her. "Nell Jones, Eric Beale, I'd like you to meet Mrs. Callen." She said. "Now do you have any news on Mr. Callen's whereabouts?" She asked.

Emma stared at the screen amazed as images of Kendall dragging Callen from behind a bush where he had stashed him after the accident and throwing him into the trunk of a grey ford. The man whose car it had been stood with his hands up as Kendall made him walk towards the edge of the cliff and then pushed him off.

Emma's hands flew up to her face, she had known that Kendall was evil, but she had not thought he really would have killed her until that moment. She watched horrified as Kendall opened the trunk and Callen had tried to climb out only to have Kendall hit him again and smile as he fell back unconscious into the trunk. Kendall shut the trunk and walked whistling to the drivers' side, then with a smile on his face drove off and joined the traffic.

"He's…..He's…!" Emma was furious. She looked at the OSP team and then turned to the one person she trusted, "Mama, I want my husband back," she said.

Saskia smiled, "I will have it sorted." She turned and took two steps and stopped. "That's quick!" she said, "I assume you're here because you have news for me," She said looking at the face of Owen Granger.

* * *

"Saskia Brantov…I only got your message ten minutes ago I was coming up here to get you some answers." Owen said smiling at the woman.

Deeks looked shocked. "You know Mom?"

"You're her new boy?" it was Granger's turn to look shocked.

"He is now my son, My Emma is his sister." Saskia said proudly.

"Emma married Callen!" Eric said unable to help himself.

Granger chuckled to himself. "Figures." He said. "Ok so what have we got?"

"My Emma was kidnapped by a man named Kendall, your people rescued her and this man has a past with Callen, he has taken him, the woman….Levis?" Saskia stopped.

"No Mom, Lewis." Emma corrected her.

"Ah yes, Lewis, she is dead and Kendall has Callen…He is under my protection and we need him back."

"Really?" Granger said dryly and rolled his eyes.

Emma walked up to him and slapped him, "He is the father of my son and my husband, you owe Mom and you will help." She ordered him.

Granger looked at Saskia, "Yes Sass…I do owe you…But I am helping because Callen is one of my agents. No other reason."

Saskia nodded, she was not interested in a power play right now.

* * *

Kendall pulled the car into the garage and closed the door.

Switching on the light he opened the trunk and pulled the body of Callen out of the trunk and up the stairs. He opened the door to one of the bedrooms and threw him in. Callen hit the floor and groaned.

Slowly he opened his eyes… he looked around the room and as he recognized where he was…he screamed.

"No,no,no,no,no!" he screamed in horror.

Kendall smiled as he locked the door.

Glad you remember the old place….See I kept it just as you remembered, if you look carefully, the bloodstain is still there.

"Let me go, you son of a bitch….let me go!" he begged, hugging his broken arm to him his eyes locked on a brown stain he remembered well.

"I'm so sorry…." He said caught up in the memory of the last person to die in this room.

Emily.

 


	9. Chapter 9

Callen stared at the coffee colored mark on the carpet, faded with the years, but in his minds eye the stain was a blood red as the day it slipped unwillingly from the body of Emily Brandel. He realized he was disorientated and he did not think it was all because of where he was, the room was spinning and he felt strange.

The door opened and Kendall walked into the room, "Hey Gee, it's medicine time again." He said in a sweet voice.

Callen tried to pull away.

"Noooo!" he cried as Kendall produced a needle from behind his back. I cannot hide this in your food anymore you are too old. He said as he injected the substance into Callen's neck.

"What…?" Callen's voice sounded thick to his ears.

"Ketamine boy, like to keep my pets tame." Kendall smiled and Callen shivered.

He tried staying alert but the drug coursed through his system making it harder and harder to think. Kendall grinned at the pain he could see on the unguarded agent's face. "I'm sure you need to rest, don't worry, I'm off to get your boy soon."

Callen fought of sleep thinking Kendall was after Jay. "No let him aloooone!" He said his word slurring as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Kendall watched as Callen passed out and walked out of the room laughing.

* * *

Callen looked down at himself. Something was wrong….he was shorter than he remembered and the room looked cleaner.

He stood and tried to move to the door and found he could not. He looked out of the window, it was bright and sunny and the air smelled clean.

He glanced to his side and caught sight of himself in the mirror. He was fifteen again.

"What the Hell?"

"That's not a nice thing to say." Emily said suddenly appearing behind him in the mirror, standing there looking exactly like, she had the day before he had been sent back to Kendall's. The only difference was the small boy whose hand she held.

"Emma?" Callen said.

Emily laughed, "No silly, Emily." She smiled sitting on the bed pulling the small boy into her lap.

Callen looked scared, "But you're dead?" He said

Emily smiled… "Not here. Here I didn't die, here Caleb was born."

"Hi daddy," The little boy said shyly.

Callen found he could move and he walked over to the bed and held his arms open as Caleb climbed off his mothers lap and hugged his father.

"Hi Caleb." Callen said his voice catching. He turned to Emily, "Where is here?"

Emily smiled again, "This is your safe space, you created it, and you're not dead." She said as if answering an unspoken thought, "But you have been given too much Ketamine, We came to keep you safe. Here we are strongest."

Caleb laughed as he played on the floor by his parent's feet.

The one thing Callen had wanted to ask Emily came to mind, "Did you know…when you died…about Caleb."

Emily smiled, "A woman always knows. I know about Emma and Jay too."

"I'm not replacing you." Callen said defensively. The apparition of Emily and Caleb shimmered, "Wait!" Callen called.

"I know G, I never stopped loving you either, I met your son, Jay, and he's going to be a wonderful person." She said. Callen wanted to ask what she meant by that but was stopped by her next words. "I'm glad you found Emma, you both belong together. We will always love you G, Tell Jay about his big brother." Emily said Caleb came to hold her hand again. "Love you daddy!" Caleb said as Emily started fading and Callen's unconscious body relaxed into a deeper sleep.

* * *

In Ops Saskia Brantov walked up to Owen Granger, "My people found him." She said, "Maybe Owen they should work for you." She snapped handing Nell a slip of paper.

"Oh my God! He's back at the house!" She exclaimed sending the address to the others.

In the bullpen, Sam, Kensi and Deeks looked up as their phones vibrated no one wanting to yell as Emma and the baby slept on the couch.

"It's an address let's go." Sam said.

Through their earwig, Eric briefed the team while Hetty and Saskia listened in OPS.

"Kendall has been seen going in and out of this house in the last 24 hours, we hacked a traffic camera across the street, we have footage of him dragging Callen out of the car into the house, but haven't seen him at any of the windows." He said.

"How far?" Sam asked.

"Just around the corner." Eric said and Sam pulled up.

As they got out Deeks started to pull up and looked afraid at the house.

"You ok?" Kensi asked looking at his partner.

Deeks nodded, "I'm sure it was bigger." He said looking at the house he had not seen since he was four.

He shook his head and took a step towards the house, 'Careful!' he heard a woman's voice in his ear.

"I'll be fine Nell." Deeks said, both Sam and Kensi stopped and looked at him.

"Nell didn't say anything."

"I…I just heard her say careful, maybe my comm. Is playing up?" Deeks said he shook his head again and all three of them drew their gun and entered the building.

"Spread out, he could be anywhere." Sam ordered.

"Nope he'll either be in the basement or in Cal's room." Deeks moved past Sam and led the way he stopped at the bottom of the stairs and listened.

Deeks went to go upstairs "No!" the same voice whispered in his ear and he stopped causing Kensi to walk into him.

"OOF!" he said as the air rushed out of him.

"Why'd you stop?" She asked quietly.

"Wrong way, we need to go to the basement." He turned and headed to the kitchen and the basement door.

* * *

Callen was awake, but in the midst's of a flashback, his head was still fuzzy, he was not sure what was going on. Kendall was in the basement and had been kicking him for the last twenty minutes, he had felt at least four ribs crack also he knew his wrist was fractured. His kidneys were aching where he was being kicked by Kendall who was taping Callen screaming.

"Look at the camera brat, I'm gonna show that girly of yours what your made of….Scream for me." Kendall snarled and kicked his kidney again and Callen choked out a sob, He looked up and saw Emily and Caleb standing nearby, Caleb sat by Callen's head and he felt a cold hand on his head, "It's ok daddy, it'll be over soon."

"No, Em, Cay….run he'll hurt you." Callen breathed spitting blood.

"We are safe G, help is coming, hold on…hold on for Emma and Jay, they need you." She begged.

"Em…Jay…" Callen coughed again.

Kendall looked at Callen, "They can't help you know. They are going to see this and all they'll find is your broken bloody body." He laughed and picked up a piece of lead piping he had he held it in his hand and studied it for a few moments… "Na, not enough…" He put it down and picked up the same sledgehammer that Callen had hit him with all those years ago during one of the rare moments when Callen had fought back. "This'll do lets work our way up shall we!"

Kendall raised the hammer and brought it down with a sickening crunch on Callen's ankle.

As Callen screamed, the door at the top of the stairs was kicked down.

"NCIS FREEZE!" Deeks yelled pointing his gun at Kendall.

Kendall looked over at Deeks and smiled… "Martin!" he grinned.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Deeks hand shook as he stood and looked into the face of the man who had killed his sister.

Kendall grinned and took a step towards him, Deeks stood rooted to the spot staring as a blood soaked Callen barreled into Kendall and knocked him off his feet.

"NO!" Callen screamed, mostly through anger and frustration and also though the pain of his smashed ankle. Not registering his team being there.

Callen started beating Kendall his fists smashing out at anything he could reach, a combination of the drugs and pain making him incoherent, Sam and Deeks pulled him off of Kendall. Then Kensi pulled him up and started to cuff him.

"You think this will stop me?" Kendall roared triumphantly as he spat blood in Callen's direction. "I'll go back to prison for a few years, that's all. Get a bit more practice in and then….when I get out, that boy of yours should be just about the right…." Kendall never got to finish the sentence as a hole appeared in the center of his forehead and his lifeless body dropped to the ground.

Deeks and Kensi turned to see Sam looking surprised at Callen who was holding Sam's gun.

"G….Give me the gun." Sam said gently holding out his hand.

"Is…is he dead?" Callen asked his voice emotionless.

"Yes." Kensi said.

"Good." Callen handed Sam the gun and then let the combination of the ketamine in his system and the pain from his ankle overtake him and he collapsed to the ground.

For a second a wind whistled around the room.

'It's over.' Were the last two words Callen heard as he lost consciousness.

Deeks looked around, "What?"

"What?" Kensi and Sam said together.

"Nothing, let's get G to hospital and get that out of here." Deeks said walking out of the room.

* * *

Sam sat with Callen as he waited for the paramedics and he looked around the basement. There were boxes and one caught his attention. An old battered box the writing was nearly faded but Callen was written on the side in faded marker pen. Sam pulled the box down and opened the box and slowly pulled out the contents.

A few report cards.

A picture Callen had drawn…no two…one obviously done when he was small a house boy alone but not far away two other stick figures holding hands and looking lovingly at the boy.

Another one of what looked to be Kendall's home a dark picture two boys and a girl and a big dark monster the girl was drawn in bright colors and so was the larger boy who was holding a sword and standing holding the monster at bay. Sam looked at the words in the bottom corner. My hero by martin.

It had obviously meant something to Callen if he had kept it.

He smiled thinking of little Deeks drawing a picture with Callen as his hero.

He wasn't thinking as he opened an envelope containing some Polaroid's as he looked his face drained of color he put them back into the envelope and he rushed over to the sink and vomited.

He put the contents of the box beside him, no one else was going to see it, and he would just hand it over to Hetty.

* * *

"They've got him!" Eric's voice rang out throughout the mission.

Emma ran up the stairs to Ops.

"Eric….is he ok?" Emma said breathlessly.

"Deeks called, Kendall is dead, Callen's alive but he's hurt they are going to take him to hospital."

Emma looked frantic, "How is he hurt…is it serious?"

Hetty and Saskia walked up to Emma. "Mrs. Callen I suggest we meet them at the hospital." Hetty said.

Emma nodded and went to get Jay.

Thirty minutes later surprisingly at the same time that Kensi and Deeks arrived; Hetty, Saskia, Emma and Jay all arrived at the hospital. They found their way to the waiting room where Sam sat with his head in his hands.

"Mr. Hanna?" Hetty said looking worried at the look on her Agents face.

"He's going to be ok, they are setting his ankle and they have him on a saline drip to flush the Ketamine out of his system." He told them, He turns to Emma and Saskia, "You two should go in, I'll watch lil G" He offered sending a look to Hetty she didn't miss.

Emma smiled and handed her son over to the man she hoped would one day be the child's godfather and she and her mother went to check on the eldest Callen.

* * *

As soon as they were gone Hetty turned to Sam, "What is it Mr. Hanna?" she asked instantly concerned.

Sam gestured to the box he had brought with him, "I found this….in the basement at Kendall's house, I didn't want it to be entered as evidence…" Sam stopped as Hetty looked from him to the box.

"Mr. Hanna removing evidence from a crime scene is prohibited," she said sternly.

Sam thrust the box at her. "Look at this…the Kendall nightmare is finally over for Callen….Does he need this out in the open?" Hetty looked in the box and she paled, "I thought we had all of these." She said.

"You knew?" He was livid, though for the sake of the child he kept his voice down.

"It was brought up in Kendall's original trial."

"He never said, not even the first time!" Sam was incredulous that his partner had not told him.

He picked up the photo and looked at the pictures of the fifteen year old boy, the light of hope gone from his eyes. Standing, the photo showing the boy naked from the waist up, razor cuts, bruises and cigarette burns over his body and a swollen broken arm.

"I knew he went through a lot with Kendall, it must have been hell for them all." Sam said thinking of Deeks' time with him as well. Sam then smiled, "I also found this…" He showed Hetty Deeks' drawing of G saving Deeks and Emily from the monster.

Hetty smiled and looked at the drawing, "I think Mr. Deeks would like to see this again."

"I'm worried about him too Hetty, he kept hearing what he thought was Nell, but we didn't hear her, do you think the Comm.'s system was compromised?" he asked.

"I don't know." She answered honestly. She made a mental note to talk to Deeks at the earliest opportunity.

For now all she could do was sit with her family and wait.

 


	11. Chapter 11

Hetty walked in the room to see a sight that warmed her heart.

Callen's family sitting around his bed waiting for him to wake up; Emma sat with her hand over Callen's next to the bed. Deeks sat nearby holding Emma's other hand and Saskia sat in the corner reading a book. Kensi walked in and sat in the corner giving Deeks a glance and a nod.

"Any change?" Hetty whispered to Saskia as she took a chair next to her.

Saskia shook her head, "The Ketamine is out of his system now, and they have dosed him up with medication for his ankle. The doctors pinned and set it. He will be out for at least eight weeks."

"I think Mrs. Callen will take good care of him." Hetty smiled looking over at the young woman whose blonde hair fell over her face as she leant her head next to her husband's.

Callen heard hushed voices as he slowly clawed his way to consciousness, "Em?" he croaked she looked up and grasped his hand.

"G…come back to me," Emma said

"Can't….Can't die Emmy, I love Emma…." Callen murmured.

"I love you too!" Emma said and leant over to kiss him.

He felt her kiss and moved away, "Emma….run…..Kendall!" he started panicking and the monitors all started bleeping.

* * *

Deeks moved over to the bed, "Cal, it's over…Kendall's dead…you heard Emily…she told you it's over!" he put his hand on Callen's shoulder. Callen relaxed and opened his eyes, "You heard her too?" He asked his throat rasping.

Deeks gave him some ice chips. "Yeah." He said quietly.

He helped Callen sit and get his bearings and then the two of them noticed that everyone else in the room was staring at them.

"What?!" Callen coughed and winced as his ribs ached.

"You heard Emily?" Emma asked.

Deeks and Callen looked at each other; neither had planned to share that fact.

"I…I mean I thought I heard Emily as we took the house, once when I went down to the basement instead of upstairs and as Kendall died, I could have sworn I heard her voice saying it was over." Deeks said honestly.

"Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked.

Callen wanted to be able to say he had heard it too. But he remembered the last time he'd told someone he'd heard Emily's voice when he was a teenager, the foster parent had enrolled him in a psychiatric facility until he admitted he'd heard nothing…and there was no way he was getting separated from Emma and Jay again, so he turned and looked at the wall. He figured not answering isn't lying.

Deeks looked hurt and moved away from Callen. "You heard her…I know you did!" he said accusingly.

"Mr. Deeks…just calm down." Hetty placated her agent.

Callen looked at Hetty, "You need to debrief me?" He asked all business.

Deeks shot Callen a look and stormed out of the room; Kensi looked apologetic and followed her partner.

* * *

Emma shot Callen a look but he closed off. She wasn't having that and punched him in the arm gently. "Hey…enough." She admonished him.

"Em, I can't….If I tell…" He said looking more lost than she had ever seen him.

"Nothing will happen if you tell, we are all family here and no one will judge you." Emma said. Callen shot a look at Hetty.

"You won't?" He asked looking pointedly at her.

"Unless it pertains directly to the case, nothing else said in here will be shared Mr. Callen." Hetty promised him.

"IsawEmilyandCaleb" Callen said in a big rush.

"Sorry?" Both Hetty and Saskia said at the same time.

Callen looked intently at the hand he was grasping Emma's with. "When Kendall had me…He injected me with Ketamine and I lost consciousness…I think I was dead…But I saw Emily and Caleb….Caleb was a child, I…I held him and played with him…Emily said they'd help me and that I wasn't to die, that Emma and Jay needed me…When Kendall was beating me, they were there…keeping me strong. I think Em, I think they needed closure too and Kendall's death gave them that."

The others listened intently to Callen's statement but Callen hadn't looked at any of them.

"I'm not mad….." He whispered…"Am I?"

Emma hugged him, "No my love you are not mad…or crazy….do you feel crazy?" she asked.

Callen looked at her and she could see the tears he was fighting to keep hidden, "I feel whole Em…for the first time in years I feel whole."

She wrapped him in a hug and Saskia and Hetty left in search of Saskia's other son who needed healing.

* * *

Deeks sat holding his nephew and rocking him in a gentle motion as he stared at the garden he was sitting in. Kensi sat next to him with Sam nearby.

"He didn't back me up Kenz, I know he heard her….I think he heard her…I thought we were a family finally." Deeks said, Kensi could see the misery rolling of him in waves and even Jay was picking up on it sniffling into his uncle's chest.

"He heard her son." Saskia said moving to sit the other side of her new son and gently rubbing her grandson's back. "He was not able to admit it but he did back you up…When you take Jay into him, I know he will want to talk to you." She reassured him.

"Really, mom. I feel like I don't belong there." Deeks said.

Saskia smiled, "Both my boys both insecure and both needing each other so badly, if only you would both admit it." She wrapped an arm around Deeks' shoulder and hugged him, "Do not let what happened with Kendall drive you both apart, Emily wouldn't want that. Emma doesn't. you have a shared past that should bring you closer as you both survived it." She said.

Hetty handed him a piece of paper, "I think Mr. Deeks….you need this…to remind you." He opened the paper and stared stunned at the drawing he hadn't seen since he was a child.

Saskia looked at the paper. "Did you draw that my son?"

"Yeah….I was five…I'd just left Kendall's I gave this to the social worker to give to him." Deeks breathed.

"Can you tell me about it?" She asked gently.

"It's Emily…Me and Cal…he's the knight and he's fighting off the monsters and saving us…he was….he is my hero." Deeks admitted.

"Mr. Deeks, I think Mr. Callen needs to hear that right now." Hetty said, she leant in and passed Jay to Saskia.

"Come son; let's go see your brother." Saskia, Jay and Deeks headed back to Callen's room as Sam, Hetty and Kensi sat on the bench.

"Do you think they'll be ok?" Sam asked worried for his partner and his friend.

"Yes Mr. Hanna, not only do I think they'll be alright I think they will be better because of this."

* * *

Deeks knocked tentatively on the door of the hospital room and Emma opened it. She smiled as she saw the rest of her family; she kissed Deeks on the cheek and reached for her son, breathing in the scent that was uniquely his as she moved to sit near Callen.

"Show him." Saskia prompted Deeks and he reached over with a slightly shaking hand and passed Callen the sheet of paper. "Sam found it in a box of your stuff at Kendall's" He said by way of explanation.

Callen took the ageing piece of paper from Deeks' hand and carefully opened it.

The others watched as Callen stared at the piece of paper, Deeks looked to Saskia, surprising himself that he had taken to his new mother so quickly, that he felt he needed the nod of reassurance she gave him.

"You…you drew this?" Callen asked.

Deeks nodded, "Just after Emily died. I drew it when a therapist asked me to draw my family." Deeks said quietly.

"Show me." Callen prodded simply.

Deeks let out an embarrassed smile, "It's Me, Emily…." He said pointing to the small boy and the princess in the picture, "Then there's you fighting the monster."

"Did we win?" Callen asked amazed that at that age someone had thought him a hero.

Deeks looked at his big brother and his new family, and answered his voice thick with emotion, "Yeah Cal, yeah ya did."

Callen lay back closed his eyes and smiled.

"Nope kid, We won."

 


End file.
